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Miss Freda Lewis addressed a pub- lic meeting in the Masonic Hall on Friday night last on international affairs and the Communist Party's

policy for victory, peace and security.

Miss Lewis said some people had misconceptions about the Commun- ist Party, it's programme and policy, and these doubts and suspicions were fostered by the press and big businesses. In the past the Com- munist Party was slandered and ac- cused of being interested in Russia alone and not Australia. To-day, the Russian people, Stalin and the Red Army were admired the world over.

The Australian Communists, she said, loved Australia, which they wanted to see freed from the scourge of unemployment and wars. To-day there were victories over the enemy battle front, which was the result of international unity by America, Rus- sia and Britain. This unity must be maintained when victory has been won, because it would assure the peoples of the world a secure and lasting peace.

The Communist Party believed that Socialism was the solution of the people's problems, but Socialism could not be achieved till the major- ity of Australians by their votes, demonstrations and struggles, de- manded Socialism, which was a democratic movement.

Communists were accused of being anti-religious, anti-democratic, and wanting violence; but these accusa- tions, as history showed, had been hurled at those fighting for progress. Communists, she said, did not want violence, but wanted to rid the world of the violence of the last 20 years. The Soviet Union guaranteed the right of freedom of religious wor- ship to its citizens in the constitu- tion. The Australian Communist Party maintained that religion was a private matter for the individual, and believed in freedom of religious wor- ship for all. _

At least 87 vessels under construc- tion at the beginning of 1945 will be sent by Canada to the Pacific war. They include 21 maintenance vessels, 50 transports, ferries and 16 coastal cargo ships.